Couldn't Let That Happen
by TotallyTiva
Summary: Pepper accidentally overhears a conversation of Tony's. She thinks she's sorry for eavesdropping, but that doesn't mean she's sorry for hearing what she did.


Chapter 1  
And A Grin

Pepper's POV

I can't believe I'm late. I can NOT believe I'm late. I had been thinking this all morning. Last night a power outage-most likely caused by Tony Stark himself, working on some project that took up all the electricity in the entire state- caused my clock to reset, and all my alarms to disappear. I had slept in by half an hour, however thanks to me hurrying (even more than usual) I was only going to be fifteen minutes late into work.

But to Tony Stark fifteen minutes without supervision could cause his house to burn down. The only time I did not supervise him- coincidentally the one time he thinks I should- is at night. At which time his care is placed under Jarvis, until I arrive the next day. Jarvis would have that burden for a couple extra minutes today though. Now I feel bad. I pulled up the drive and around the circle, I never parked in the garage. Tony controlled Jarvis, who controlled the garage, and so in summary Tony controlled the garage. So, Tony could control when, or if I left. Not an option.

I walked through the house, surprisingly not hearing any bangs and things blowing up in his basement. All I could hear was voices coming from the garage. Well, the second garage. Happy had in fact insisted that Tony have another garage as apparently when Happy came into the garage one morning, pulling up smoothly in the Ferrari, Tony had 'tried to kill him'. From then on Happy had demanded that he couldn't protect Tony, if Tony killed Happy first. Happy not backing down one bit, claimed that if Tony refused he would 'take him down'.

And so, Tony had built a second garage on the OPPOSITE side of the house, per the agreement. And, yes, I had heard the ENTIRE argument, as they didn't exactly talk quiet. So, here I am, again, and I can barely hear what they are bickering about this time. I take a step closer to the door, and lean in slightly.

"You know that, Happy, come on you know me, you know that it's true!"

Wow, I had never heard Tony this desperate before.

"You were out of control, Tony."

"I know, Happy, but I would NEVER let anything happen to her, you know that if you know me."

Who's her?

"I had to usher her out of there so you wouldn't hurt her, or kill her much less."

Me?

"Happy! You've got to listen to me. I love Pepper, okay? And you don't let anything happen to the people you love. I couldn't ever let that happen to Pepper."

And with that I couldn't take it anymore. I burst into the room and not sparing any time at all I ran towards the voices, and flung myself into Tony's arms. Snuggled my head into the crook of his neck, wrapped my arms over his shoulder, and around to his back, not even looking up to his stunned face. Slowly out of the corner of the one eye not totally obscured through the strawberry hair I could see Happy walk out silently, with what appeared to be a smirk on his face. Slowly Tony adjusted to the current time and he started to run his hand down the back of my head, and down till the end of my hair, on my back.

"Shh. Shh. It's okay, Pepper. It's okay. You're okay. Shh."

Again with the odd things. Tony being soothing, come on? What's up with him?

"Might I ask what caused the sudden closeness?" He asked as at first mumbled into my hair, and then with his hands holding my arms, with his elbows bent, and still close.

"You, Tony, what you said. You know that you're all I have too, Tony. It's like it's us against the world.

"You have no idea, Pepper. You know what we should stick together. You know you could just move in with me."  
"Are you trying to tell me something, ?"

"I'm sorry, my father isn't available at the moment."

"Tony!"

"Alright, Pepper, just listen for a second. I could say that I want to do this right, and you would get all sappy. So, I'm gonna' say this in the most untraditional way ever."  
"Here goes. Pepper, you should move in with me. Why? Because we're all each other have. You're all I'll ever want. You're all I'll ever need. And to be quite honest, no matter how cheesy this sounds, when I wake up in the morning all I want to see is you. And in the morning while I watch you peacefully sleep, I want to have the memory. The memory of the night before where we laid down in bed and I wrapped my arms around you so I know that you would be safe. And to be honest I want nothing more than to just stay here forever. And if I have to leave to know that the one I love will be waiting for me when I get back. Honestly, Pepper, I think I love you."

"Tony, I… I think I love you too."

And as happy and as in love as they were neither of them noticed the faint footsteps walking out of the shadows and out. And as a matter of fact the two things that went with him were:

A simple thought-

It's about time.

And a grin.

And, guess what? Happy was Happy.


End file.
